Sadie Goode Fleming

Sadie Margaret Goode was born September 3, 1912 to Harrison and Mary Goode of Amherst, Virginia. She had an older brother, Harry, who was two years her senior. Sadie’s mother was a school teacher who taught in a one room school for African American elementary school youth for all of Amherst County. Her father, who was a local pastor, died when she was 8 years old. She, her mother and brother moved in with her Aunt Rachel in Amherst. The change in schools was challenging because she was not immediately accepted. An incident where someone tore her coat and she fought back generated respect and acceptance. Her schooling in Amherst ended at the 7th grade and the family had to make a major decision. If Sadie and Harry were going to continue their education, they would have to go to a regional high school that was a boarding school. There was no high school in Amherst County for African Americans. Sadie’s mother quit her job as a school teacher and moved to Boston to become a maid in a college dormitory so that she could pay tuition for Sadie to go to high school at St. Paul’s College in Lawrenceville, Virginia. Sadie began high school in 1927 and graduated from St Paul’s High School in 1931. Because she wanted to go to college, Sadie moved to Washington, D.C. to live with her uncle, Jay Carter, who was a high school English teacher at Dunbar High School. She graduated from Howard University with a BS in Home Economics in 1935. She had further studies at Cornell University. Hanover County had an opening so Sadie relocated to Ashland and became a Home Economics teacher at Hanover County Training School. In 1937 she met John Fleming and after a courtship she married John on July 22, 1939. They decided that they should build a home so in 1944 their home for over 50 years was built and in 1945 the home was paid for. That same year on January 6 John Jr. was born and 3 years later a daughter was born. She was named after both of her grandmothers- Mary and Arnita. Sadie stayed at home with John and Arnita until Arnita started school in 1954. She joined the Hanover County Extension Service and became an extension agent. Her duties included leading 4-H clubs and home demonstration activities throughout the county. There are probably thousands of youth and adults that she touched during her 30 years of service with the Extension Service. She retired from the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service in 1974. It is a part of the US Department of Agriculture. She also taught Home Economics at Hanover County Training School. After John Sr. retired in 1976, they enjoyed a life of travel and seeing their grandchildren grow and develop. Sadie continued her volunteer work with the Hanover County Recreation Center and the Hanover County Senior Citizens. For 73 years Sadie lived in Hanover County. She was a member of Shiloh Baptist Church in Ashland where she enjoyed working with the Willing Workers Ministry. She enjoyed seeing many of her students who stopped by to visit her in the Ashland Convalescent Center. She moved to Bowie Maryland in 2008 to be closer to Arnita and her grandchildren. Sadie celebrated her 100th birthday September 3, 2012. God called her home December 3, 2013.

Tributes

Sadie Goode Fleming

September 3, 1912 - December 4, 2013